Critical Essay on Modern Times by Charlie Chaplin

Introduction

According to Morgan and Davies (2016) Modern Times is pure as possible a one-man motion picture, composed, authored, produced, starred and directed by Charlie Chaplin. The pantomimist struggles with his works are the movie unreels. Chaplin not only flatters but also scales new heights of laughter considering the advanced level of comedy that has characterized the television since the discovery of sound. With Modern Times, it is not all about panto and sound, as dialogue is nearly negligible, heard through recorded advertising sales or from a televisor as the head of the steel company issues orders to increase productivity within the machine shop. However, Chaplin has primarily capitalized sound via the medium of his music. Batoned by Newman, the piece is a well-received musical setting backed with eloquent language. Charlie reverts to titles when the music seems inadequate, which works to his advantage.

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In the production, some titles appear to be extraneous and the fans of the new school film may be startled at the seeming crudity as they are used to dialogue. However, every feint and fall, gesticulation, gesture, mummery, and movement by Chaplin tends to be more eloquent compared to the phraseology. The pathomimic novelty associated with the Chaplin comedy school and the artistry will certainly be favorable for the present-day audience. Chaplin's mumbling help create a pathetic and hapless figure in his world-popular baggy pants, mustache, cane, and skimpy coat, setting into motion a series of intriguing complications.

In the department store, the fun, when the Charlie attempts to take over the job of a night watchman, would be fodder for the modern theatre. It is simply the hindsight together with the shipyard hokum, which wilts the auditor with laughter. The work combines business together with the joy powder implanted by an incarcerated snowbird, the indulgence of being in jail as an incidental hero. Paulette Goddard, attired in a ragged dress and barefoot throughout the movie, is introduced naturally. The old standby of Chaplin, Boniface of the owner of the Hollywood restaurant and deputy director on Modern Times, Henry, as well as Hank Mann, Chester Conklin and Allan Garcia contribute positively.

Being the first motion picture by Chaplin in a span of five years defied the odds after the invention of dialogue and sound, and did not accept to deviate from the silent formula characteristic of Chaplin. A few years later, the director did not compromise only allowing sound for musical settings considered interpretive. The short, off-screen dialogue and a song are only cases where the sound has been used. The scenario is a hokum interlude conceived of a frantic circumstance when Chaplin is singing off the cuffs that Miss Goddard had inscribed the lyrics of the song.

Conclusion

Chaplin is forced to improvise in future, creating a lampoonery of a poem rather than a comic endeavor. The film is a great production and Chaplin would find an extensive market today as he did in the previous years because of the artistry associated with the work. Despite not using sound, Chaplin creatively uses movement, mummery, and gestures to support his actions, which works well for any audience. Chaplin's style has been adopted widely by modern-day artist, particularly in the comedy genre and hence should expect a similar reception. The style seems attractive for the present-day generation of audience that struggle to juggle between work and leisure with little time to decipher in between abstract concepts that come with dialogue.

References

Morgan, I., & Davies, P. J. (2016). Hollywood and the Great Depression: American Film,

Politics and Society in The 1930s. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.